The Gordon Research Conference on The Chemistry, Physiology and Structure of Bones and Teeth is now in its thirty-eighth year. This particular conference has been a primary driving force in accelerating research progress in skeletal/dental tissue biology. It brings together many of the world's leading investigators as well as most of the brightest young scholars who are active in skeletal research. It is unique by its limited size, the large amount of time for free discussion, the geographical isolation and free time allowing a maximal extent of interactions. In short, the Gordon Conference on Bones and Teeth is known and recognized to be the most influential research conference in the field. This meeting is remarkably cost-effective in part due to the unique administrative support provided by the Gordon Research Conference Organization. The purpose of the proposal is to request funds to partially defray costs of speakers' transportation and subsidence only. The modest level of funds will result in major benefits to the scientific community in terms of scientific interchange and discourse; as such, it will stimulate further creativity in bone and tooth research in the coming years as it has in the past. The 1991 Conference will focus attention on each of the following critical areas of skeletal research: Molecular Basis of Osteoinduction Cell and Matrix Adhesion Molecules Role of Bone Marrow in Bone Cell Differentiation Growth Factors and Bone Cells Ion Transport in Bone Cells New Findings/New Investigators Calciotropic Hormones: Signal Transduction and Gene Regulation New Biphosphonates: Biology and Clinical Effects